The Hand
by midnightgamin
Summary: At night when everything is quiet and still anything can take form and prowl in the dark. Are we sure that we are safe in our sleep? Or are we just lying to ourselves and leaving it to chance?


Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Akira was alone in her house in the suburbs. It was very spacious and modern to her liking. She has had enough savings to live out her days in that neighborhood. But being a doctor she is always on-call.

Of course, she doesn't want anyone dying, not like that _time_. Akira had to be ready in any situation. Her only relief was her dog, Akamaru. This dog was owned by her patient who died a long time ago.

Animals aren't allowed in the hospital but somehow this creature always finds its way to the sickly boy. Akira did everything she could to save him. She had never been possessed by such determination and urgency to see the boy leaving the hospital with a smile. But in the end he gave Akamaru to her before he died.

That day it rained and she vowed never to see another patient under her care be sent to the morgue. The boy's parents and older sister did not take the dog for they knew it found a new owner. For months the dog and the doctor grieved. But the dog never left her.

Akamaru the mastiff was a pup then, and now he was way huge compared to other dogs. Akira loved him unconditionally and gave him a warm home and everything. And in exchange Akamaru would guard her sleep. Hana, the boy's sister, had borrowed Akamaru to train as an attack dog.

The raven consented seeing the dog's build and powerful jaws. Once every week Akamaru would be with Hana since it is the only reminder of her brother. Akira was always uneasy when he is away but she tries not to be too dependent on the dog.

And yet every night she had him up her bed so she could sleep a little better. She had been suffering from multiple false awakening and Akamaru would always wake her and soothe her down. One night however she woke up suddenly.

She sat up feeling light headed. The room was dim with the only light coming from the glass window on her left. Upon looking at the analog clock it was around one. Akira heard this dripping sound. It echoed and bounced in the room. _Drip, drip, drip, drip…_ Her head ached at the sound. She groggily got up and was careful not to wake the mastiff rolled up in the covers.

She found her way to her bathroom and was a little annoyed. All the taps were screwed tight, the tub, the shower and the ones on the basin. Not a drop, yet she suddenly wondered if this were a dream.

It happens to her frequently where she would go in her daily tasks unaware she was still in bed. Akira went to the mirror and beheld her visage. She touched her face and pulled her black hair in case. No, she wasn't dreaming.

The dripping must be in the kitchen, she thought. So she stepped out of her room and quietly closed the bedroom door behind her. But the sink was dry as a bone. Then she remembered if she locked up the house.

Akira went around and found everything in place. Just this morning she had tons of calls in the city and heavy piles of work. Her pink haired assistant doctor was no help at all, getting easily distracted by a cancer patient. It was a good thing she had left a bowl of food and water for Akamaru and called a sitter to walk him that afternoon.

She took out a tall glass from the cupboard and a pitcher from the fridge. Akira placed it on the counter and poured herself a glass of water. Sometime later she heard soft padding footsteps.

"Akamaru…?"

But she shook her head. Akira remembered to close the door. She downed the water in one gulp. Somehow she felt uneasy. Her hand was trembling, threatening the glass to shatter into a million pieces on the floor.

Standing in the dark kitchen made her want to see Akamaru pop out of nowhere. The raven skitters back to her room and climbed into bed. It was freezing so she pulled the covers around her and closed her eyes. She smiled when Akamaru licked her hand. Akira relaxed and fell right back to sleep.

Moments later she woke up again by dripping sounds. It must be a dream this time, she thought and ignored it the best she can. She was really tired and wanted to rest when Akamaru licked her hand again. Slowly she drifted to a dreamless sleep. Then she heard scratching sounds on her door. Akira bolted up half asleep.

"Akamaru..." she called, "Come up."

She struck out her hand off the bed and felt him lick her fingers. Akira's head was swirling and everything went black. By morning she had an aching neck. Thinking she better go take some aspirin she remembered her phone on the bedside table and checked her inbox. There was a message from the dog sitter. She received it about nine in the morning yesterday.

Apparently Hinata was busy and couldn't come. It got her a bit confused. Then her phone buzzed. Hearing it made her alert and stiff. She sat up and picked up the incoming call quickly. It was Hana. She sounded worried and anxious. Akira couldn't understand a word she was saying.

"Calm down Hana, tell me what's wrong?" she asked using her professional tone.

"It's Akamaru! He's missing!" the woman cried on the other end.

"Huh? Akamaru? I didn't lent him to-"

Akira's eyes widened. She looked down on her hand. It was smeared with sticky reddish brown substance that had dried.

"What are you talking about!? I picked him up the other day? I didn't return him yesterday because you were busy. I don't know where he'd gone…I searched everywhere Akira. The entire house, the park, and even the shadiest streets inAme! God, Akira I don't know but I think he wandered off in the middle of the night."

But the raven didn't hear half of what the Inuzuka woman was talking about and a cold chill went up her spine.

"You said he was missing…? Since…last night?"

So who was it that was lying in her bed last night? Her eyes were on the strange familiar pattern on the corner a few feet away. It was a long thin trail that led outside her door which was wide open.

"Yes! Now will you hurry up here so we can find him! Akira!?"

She turned her eyes to the left and caught sight of the broken shards below her glass window. Hana was screaming on the other end but her attention was on the crumpled piece of note sticking out from her covers. She carefully unfolded it and her heart stilled.

"_I came to you my beautiful. I nearly had the chance but I am afraid of waking you. Wait for me but until then, remember that a human can lick too._"

It was scribbled by a clumsy hand. And scrawled in blood. Akira let go of it, still clutching the phone on her ear. Then she glanced at the pool and trail again and realized it was as if something or someone with an injury left in a hurry. Was this the dripping noise she kept hearing last night? Akira pressed her back against the wall.

She had the sudden urge to peer under the bed and saw Akamaru. Looking at her companion lying there gripped her heart. Hesitantly she reached for him but stopped. He was chewing on something. It took all her experience in the ER and cadaver lab to suppress the scream in her throat.

Akamaru looked up from his treat with gore remains between his teeth. She fell back as he left the mauled piece of hand and crawled out from under the bed. Akira's breathing was doing a double take. The mastiff nudged her on the shoulder to try and calm her down. Without a seconds thought she wrapped her arms around Akamaru and cried silently.

They say that a dog can tell whenever their master is in pain and that they would come and sympathize with them. By this Akamaru had stayed by his grieving Akira.

Hana had hung up after hearing a bark and her friend gasping. She arrived at Akira's house hoping there's nothing more to it and then she saw the front door ajar. The Inuzuka had a feeling that Akamaru had gone home. But she didn't expect what she witnessed inside. There were a few broken things on the living room like a fight happened not long ago. When Hana reached Akira's room she found her on the floor with Akamaru on her lap. The raven was staring at the broken window while absently stroking Akamaru's fur. Akamaru reared its head towards the visitor.

Some days before there were a report of an escape in a local asylum. The patient's name is Deidara, former sculptor known for his famous works and fiery temper. The genius had been diagnosed with a long term mental disorder that had him under controversies in the media for years. He had lost his career after undergoing numerous treatments and settling down in an unknown suburb for his fourth treatment. After the eventual murder of his colleague he was convicted in court. His lawyer pleaded his case with insanity and the artist was sent to the Kirigakure Asylum. He is currently on the loose.

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A/N: Just felt like writing for the Halloween spirit. This story is derived from the "Licked Hand." Anyone familiar with it?

-midnightgamin


End file.
